First Look at Mets 2018 Draft Class

Jarred Kelenic/Photo by Ed Delany, MMO

With the 2018 Major League draft having occurred over a month ago, it is a good time to look at the players the Mets selected to see how they are performing in their first month of professional baseball.

Gulf Coast

Jarred Kelenic, OF (First Round) – The sixth overall pick in the draft has had an incredible beginning to his professional career hitting .396/.450/.623 in 14 games. His incredible play led the organization to promote him from the Gulf Coast League to the Appalachain League much quicker than they had done with their last two first round high school position players (Brandon Nimmo, Dominic Smith).

Nelson Mompierre, C (29th Round) – Mompierre was hailed as a patient hitter with some pop at the plate, and he has shown some of those skill thus far with three extra base hits and a .368 OBP over his first nine games.

Kingsport

Christian Tripp, RHP (13th Round) – In three appearances and 4.0 scoreless innings of work, Tripp has allowed just one base runner (single) while striking out three batters.

Andrew Mitchell, RHP (14th Round) – Mitchell has already recorded his first professional save and win, and he has struck out seven batters in his 5.0 innings of work.

Phil Capra, C (15th Round) – While struggling at the plate, he is not struggling behind it having thrown out 60 percent of attempted base stealers.

L.A. Woodward, SS (16th Round) – Woodward has flashed his top of the order skills hitting three doubles, going a perfect 3-for-3 in stolen base attempts, and having a .407 OBP.

Allan Winans, RHP (17th Round) – While struggling against left-handed batters, Winans has dominated right-handed batters in his three relief appearances limiting them to just one walk in 10 plate appearances against him.

Hayden Senger, C (24th Round) – Senger has had an outstanding debut hitting .400/.488/.600 while throwing out 57 percent of attempted base stealers.

Zach Rheams, SS (27th Round) – While a middle infielder in college, he has only played left field and appeared as a DH. After six games with Kingsport, Rheams got called-up to Columbia, and he had a good debut there going 1-for-2 with a double and a walk.

Mitch Hickey, RHP (28th Round) – Hickey has pitched 4.o scoreless inning out of the bullpen for Kingsport striking out six and walking just one batter.

Brooklyn

Carlos Cortes, 2B (Third Round) – Despite playing a number of positions in college, the Mets drafted the left-handed hitting and ambidextrous fielding Cortes to play second base. After a slow start to his career at the plate, he is 5-for-14 over his last four games.

Ryley Gilliam, RHP (Fifth Round) – Gilliam is considered to be a prospect who could be the first player from the entire 2018 draft to make the majors. So far, he has made one appearance for pitching a scoreless inning.

Nick Meyer, C (Sixth Round) – Largely seen as the best defensive catcher in the drat, Meyer did struggle catching Noah Syndergaard in Syndergaard’s rehab start for Brooklyn. Then again, Major League catchers struggle to catch him. At the plate, Meyer has been a pleasant surprise thus far hitting .333/.350/.410 in 1o games.

Kevin Smith, LHP (Seventh Round) – The left-hander has made four appearances going 2-0 while striking out 14 and not allowing a run in nine innings pitched. Of note, left-handed batters have no hits and three strikeouts in eight plate appearances against him.

Tylor Megill, RHP (Eighth Round) – Megill has struggled in his two appearances allowing four earned in 1.2 innings pitched.

Manny Rodriguez, SS (10th Round) – Rodriguez is struggling on both sides of the ball. In 16 games thus far, he is hitting .170/.241/.189 while making four errors in the field.

Ross Adolph, CF (12th Round) – The top hitter from the Metro Athletic Conference (MAC) got off to a terrific start to his professional career hitting .278/.355/.463 over his first 14 games.

Chase Chambers, 1B (18th Round) – The Brooklyn first baseman has done a good job getting on base posting a .300 batting average and .385 OBP.

Tommy Wilson, RHP (19th Round) – Wilson has not yielded an earned run in his two relief appearances, and he has a 4.00 K/BB ratio.

David Miranda, OF (25th Round) – Miranda has been hot in July for Brooklyn hitting .364/.462/.364 with a stolen base.

Brian Sharp, 3B (26th Round) – Sharp leads all third basemen in the New York-Penn League with three homers, and he ranks third at the position in walks (7).

Chandler Avant, 2B (30th Round) – After a slow start to his career, he has picked up things of late with a four game hitting streak which has seen him go 7-for-17.